From Odile Taliani
Sir: Let us give Lady Powell the benefit of the doubt, thereby allowing herself further to undermine her own argument (Letters, 4 September). Had the 400 houses built without planning permission been 'condoned' in 1985. they would have had to obtain the stamp of approval from the Health Office. No way would any Health Office have stamped a condono had not the property in question been able to prove it was supplied with a viable source of water. So how is it that here we are all in Darfur with nothing to drink? And that no significant number, if any, of the thirsty 400 have associated themselves with the Powell action?
There is no trace of the Palombara Sabina Town Council giving any stamped guarantee to supply mains water by 2000. An unsubstantiated, second-hand supposition by some small surveyor cannot be considered as more than the vaguest indication of intent, however much it influenced Lady Powell in her decision to make her risky but potentially lucrative investment.
Despite exhaustive inquiry, I have been unable to obtain reliable official corroboration that a completed pipeline exists, ready only to have the tap turned on. Lady Powell, being on the spot, may be good enough to do that for us.
Odile Taliani
Vienna, Austria
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